I like to stay neutral in this conflict, but can't help thinking where were the Syrian Airforce? Are they still buying military junk of Russia? Migs are useless against Western planes.

In the past the Syrians have put up some fight against the Israelis and the 1973 war was not the decisive chosen one victory that some sources depict it as. What has changed si that they no longer have the soviet technical, logistical and possibly intellectual support of yore. I believe that a few years back they had a border dispute with Turkey and couldn't even manage to field a Brigade sized combat team.

The issue around soviet/russian military equipment and what was given to arab countries as 'export' models is very complex. It is certainly true that the west takes, by way of example, the Mig 29 as a serious proposition. I also note that the US has lost a number of it's Abrams tanks to the antique RPG7 being used from rooftops so as to allow it to attack the much weaker roof armour. As Harry Hill might say 'what are the chances of that then'?

Israeli warplanes have flown over one of the Syrian president's palaces to warn Damascus against supporting Palestinian fighters who abducted an Israeli soldier, the Israeli army says.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said the planes early on Wednesday flew over Bashar al-Assad's palace near the city of Latakia, "because the Syrian leadership supports and harbours terrorist leaders, among them Hamas, the kidnappers of the soldier".

Syria said its air defences opened fire on Israeli warplanes that overflew the country, forcing them to flee.

State-run Syrian television said two Israeli planes flew near Syria's Mediterranean coast but did not mention Israel's claim that the planes swooped low over the president's summer residence.